


The Gardens Of Eden Are Overrated

by Spencer_Grey



Category: The Librarians
Genre: I love this character so you have to, Jazekiel if you squint, M/M, barely edited, half edited half just wanted to post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 05:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17995721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spencer_Grey/pseuds/Spencer_Grey
Summary: “We were friends when we were younger,” he stated. No one noticed the tremble at friends.~Ezekiel Jones has a long and complicated past that he'd rather anyone but when someone from that past forces himself back into his life, Ezekiel has to choose who he loves more.





	1. Chapter 1

Over a decade ago, Flynn Carson received a letter inviting him to the Library. Over the years, he’d forgotten what it had felt like to be deprived of so much knowledge. He wondered how he’d lived without knowing of the existence of magic, lived without constant adventures and excitement; and how he would’ve gone without feeling so much love.

At the same time he never knew of the three idiotic morons, as he’d describe them, that were also deemed worthy of Librarian and yet they turned the offer down. They each had their reasons, stupid and misguided as they were, but in the end they all ended up within the Library.

Flynn painfully realised that the three weren’t going anywhere any time soon and he, unwillingly, would have to share the title of Librarian; despite seemingly everyone and everything telling him it was a horrible idea.

As much as he hated it, Flynn did grow a soft spot for them. He felt some responsibility for them as they were so young and stupid, it appeared that the Library decided he should be the one to train them, teach them how to be an effective Librarian. But then Eve took over and Flynn was happy to let her.

It turned out that the new Librarians weren’t quite as bad as Flynn expected them to be. Their unique abilities made them an efficient team and they _were_ able to do things together that Flynn couldn’t alone.

That soft spot had grown big enough that when Ezekiel shoved past him, despite the room in the hallway, Flynn wasn’t even mad. But then of course, Jones was followed by Stone chasing after him and lastly Cassandra trailing behind. She tried to smile at Flynn as she passed but instantly turned to yell after the boys.

Every day tested that soft spot.

Flynn could only sigh, there really was no point trying to stop them and continued towards the annex. He tried forgetting whatever happened ten seconds ago when he spotted Eve flipping through an old book.

She noticed him, looking up and smiled. Jenkins was absent from the room, giving Flynn a sense hope. For the first time in a while, it was just the two of them. No Jenkins, not a single noisy Librarian in Training to ruin the moment.

The only one who could do that was Eve herself because of course, how dare they enjoy a moment.

“Did you see where the kids went?” she asked as Flynn reached her, pulling her into his arms. “I only heard Jones laughing so something bad must have happened.”

“They ran off somewhere. Let’s not talk about them right now, huh.”

Eve smiled, sharing Flynn’s train of thought. “What do you suppose we talk about then?” she teased.

“I’m done with talking.”

They lent towards each other, sharing one last sickly, love filled stare into each other’s eyes, relishing in the small moment of just being alone together. Their lips met, barely a second after three pairs of running footsteps appeared in the annex.

Eve sighed despite the smile still on her face, pulling back to see her Librarians enter one after another. Jones lead the trio, grinning widely and laughing. Stone wasn’t far behind him, but not close enough to grab onto Jones’ hoodie as he was clearly trying to. Cassandra was trying to get herself between the boys, doing her best to calm them down.

Flynn could only shake his head. “Are you sure we can’t give them back?” he said, low enough for only Eve to hear.

“Our lives would be so boring without them.”

The pair continued to watch on, content to let the kids wear themselves down until they all eventually gave up.

Jones had situated a table between him and Jake, side-stepping to taunt Stone who always took the bait. Then Stone, thinking he was smart, lunged over top the table, hoping to tackle Jones to the ground. But the young thief would always be more nimble than the older man. Ezekiel saw that move coming and dove under the table, standing up just as Jake did. Even with his back to Eve and Flynn, they could still tell how wide his smirk would be.

Eve would’ve watched the ordeal until the end, whatever it was about, but the distinct and familiar sound of the old clippings book opening distracted her. She turned, waited for the pages to stop turning themselves and peered over the book.

She reached out an arm, effortlessly catching the edge of Jones’ jacket as he attempted to run past her; which earned a scoff from Stone.

“Looks like we got a case,” she said.

Letting Ezekiel go, she shifted so Flynn could slip next to her and look over the newspaper articles and blurry pictures.

“Strange lights at night and power outages in a southern Arkansas town,” he read out loud. “Doesn’t sound too dangerous, Eve and I can go check it out.”

“No, I want to go,” Stone protested. “That little shit,” he pointed to Jones, “is driving me insane. I need to get out.”

“Like you’re any better to deal with,” Jones snapped back.

“And this,” Flynn said, pulling Eve to face him, “is exactly why we should go. Give them a chance to sort this out.”

“You don’t have to convince me.”

~

Jenkins watched the Door close with jealousy, the second Baird and Flynn had disappeared through the glowing portal the three young Librarians continued their squabble.

Thanks to the quick distraction, Stone was able to get the jump on Jones; the latter barely had a moment to think before he was knocked to the ground, trapped by Stone’s weight on top of him.

Jenkins looked over to Ms. Cillian, who sighed as she watched the boys wrestle on the ground, she meet his gaze.

“You don’t want to know,” she stated.

He muttered an agreement, giving the room one last survey and left to continue his work before his assistance was needed; as long as nothing broke, he wasn’t terribly concerned with the small arguments between them.

With all the adults gone, Cassandra was left to break up the petty fight happening. At that point, she couldn’t remember what had started it. Did their teasing go too far, again? Or was that last week? Maybe a prank went wrong, or the most likely case was that Jake lost an object and searched for it for a whole ten seconds before blaming Jones.

Judging by the way Ezekiel fought back, he was definitely innocent; he usually found more pleasure in letting Stone know how easy it was to rob him, because of course he took whatever object it was.

Jones was laughing, as he always did, trying to sit up against Stone’s looming body; but he didn’t share the same light attitude. Jake grabbed onto Ezekiel’s wrists, slamming them onto the ground and pinning them there, his head following suit.

Ezekiel must have gone too far; but in that moment so did Jake.

Cass stepped towards them, ready to pull them apart as best she could; but before she could reach them, she had to move back in shock.

In a swift and fluid motion, Jones was free of Jake’s grip. Then, within a few movements, he used Stone’s weight against him and flipped them both over. Ezekiel now on top, somehow his small frame was enough to keep Jake still.

“I didn’t take whatever stupid thing you lost,” Ezekiel snarled. “And never to do that to me again.”

Cassandra took another step back as Ezekiel pushed himself off of Jake, and stormed past her into one of the many hallways that lead into the central annex. Stone quickly picked up himself up, glaring after Jones, like he was considering following him to finish the fight. If Cass hadn’t put a gentle had onto his chest, feeling his raging heart under his shirt, he probably would have.

Their eyes met, the concern and borderline fear in Cassandra’s stare was enough to douse the fire in his. Jake pulled back, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.

“What did you lose?” she asked.

“ _He took_ ,” Jake pointed towards where Ezekiel had left, another deep breath, “Jones took my mom’s locket. It’s the only thing I have left of her.” The anger had completely disappeared, replaced with tired desperation.

Cass nodded. “Okay. We’ll look for it together and if the both of us can’t find it, then I’ll talk to Ezekiel.”

“Fine.”

As it turned out, Jake’s mother’s necklace had slipped under his bed, all the way to the wall which made it hard to see; but all Cassie had to do was shine a flashlight under it. After fishing it out, Jake had snatched it from her hand; half pissed that he had lost it in the first place and half because either, he wouldn’t get to punch Jones for it or because he aggressively and wrongfully accused him for stealing it.

Jake and Cassandra moved back to the annex, waiting for Baird and Flynn to return and also hoping they’d get to help in some way to keep them both occupied than deal with the inevitable. The latter couple had beaten them back, already in the middle of their explanation to Jenkins and Ezekiel when the younger duo arrived.

“Did you guys figure what was happening?” Cassandra asked excitedly, hoping to be the distraction between the obvious tension that appeared as soon as Jones noticed their presence.

“Yeah, as we just saying,” Eve said, “Flynn thinks there’s someone taking magic from the ley lines. We’re gonna need all hands on deck if we’re gonna find this person.”

Cassandra only hoped the boys wouldn’t kill each other for long enough for them to finish the case.

~

As with many of their cases, the town was nothing. Nothing big, nothing exciting, just a whole bunch of nothing. When so much nothing happened in one place, it would seem obvious that when something did happen, everyone knew about it. But the residence’s of this town were nothing too.

The lights were seen coming from somewhere near the east of the woods that circled the town; so after splitting into two teams, Ezekiel, Baird, and Stone started asking questions to the neighbourhoods closest to the outskirts. Cassandra and Flynn had left to figure out if there was _anything_ special about the town, something that might explain why someone chose here for the ley lines rather than somewhere bigger.

After getting absolutely nowhere closer to any answers, the trio decided to meet up with Cass and Flynn, praying they had something, anything to help. Eve was leading them through the unfamiliar streets, Ezekiel walked awkwardly next to Stone.

“Listen-”

“Listen-”

Ezekiel stopped, letting Jake go first.

“About what happened earlier-”

“It doesn’t matter.” The conversation was awkward enough, the last thing Ezekiel wanted was for Stone to actually say _I’m sorry_. “You were angry, I get it.”

“Jones, no. That doesn’t-”

Maybe Jake would be able to get through a whole sentence but not then; as when Flynn and Cassandra came into view, Ezekiel quickened his pace to walk next to Baird as they met, leaving Stone to swear at the thief under his breath.

Flynn and Cassandra changed direction as they fell into back into the group, Flynn and Eve now sharing how little they each found. Cass brought up the rear with Stone, the two whispering to each other about the issue walking in front of them. If he wanted to, Ezekiel would have listened to it but frankly, all he wanted to be back in the Library and two days from then; so everything would be normal again and they could all forget about it.

But he was still Ezekiel Jones and asking for ‘normal’ is like asking for a unicorn for Christmas.

Without thinking, while they spoke Flynn and Eve had lead them down a dead end alley, the concrete back of a building loomed over them.

“Anyone else have the feeling that we shouldn’t be here?” Flynn asked.

“You’re here because I wanted you here.”

In unison the Librarians and their Guardian whirled around, looking for the disembodied voice. It was honeyed, a smooth sound that was should’ve belonged to a menacing figure; but when they saw who spoke, he was anything but. He looked barely older than a teenager, appearing even smaller jacket he wore; its hood was up, obscuring most of his face.

Eve knew better than to underestimated a small opponent, immediately recognising this figure to be a threat and went on the offence. “Who are you?”

“I heard you were looking for me. I’m gonna have to ask you to stop, I don’t particularly enjoy people snooping around after me.” The person grinned, baring their teeth to the group like a wild animal ready to attack.

There was a part of that look that was so cruelly familiar to Ezekiel, in that smile, the ambience of arrogance that rippled off the person; tugging a piece of his life, he could never repress. His vision flashed between memories of years ago and the present, shifting until they blended into one. Ezekiel stepped forward in the dead end alley and through coarse sand on his favourite beach. The crashing waves drowned out Baird hissing at him to stop.

The person looked to him, the smile dropping and twisting into something Ezekiel couldn’t understand, like at the beach. There, his smokey eyes were glassy, seeing something beyond Ezekiel in front of him. The growing storm that whipped sand around was nothing compared to those eyes.

He didn’t wear a hood on the beach but Ezekiel still couldn’t see him clearly. Yet, when he reached for the hood then, Ezekiel had never seen so vividly, never felt so passionately in the eternity it took for the fabric to fall.

Everything in Ezekiel froze; his brain short-circuited, his heart forgot how to beat and a gentle gush of wind would’ve pushed his legs over.

“Paxon?”

“Hey Zekey.”

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

“Pax?”

Ezekiel couldn’t tell if he spoke in a soft whisper or was yelling to the world; but when those grey eyes sparkled in recognition, there was no doubt in his mind that it was him. A smile spread across the other man’s face, Paxon’s face, it was flooded with relief and happiness and astonishment. It was full of life and youth, revealing to the others behind Ezekiel that the mysterious stranger was still a kid in comparison to them; rather than the menacing threat they’d pictured.  

Ezekiel fought through the shock and confusion that held him. There was only one thought on his mind, the only thing he wanted in that moment; but as he stepped forward to grasp onto him, Pax disappeared into a plume of smoke, reflecting his ashy eyes. 

“What the hell was that?” It was probably Stone who asked that, but Ezekiel could barely register it. The question repeated in his own mind, all his focus was on the now empty spot. 

He was so close. 

Ezekiel was still reaching out into the open air, the others still talking behind him, now he was purposely ignoring them. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, he breathed in sharp and ragged breaths. He was so close. 

He had no idea how much time had passed, how long he stood there staring into nothing but at some point he felt a gentle hand on the small of his back. Eve pushed him forward and back around, guiding him to a glowing door. When did that happen? 

They passed back into the Library, and only then did Ezekiel start to feel in control of his body again. As Baird’s hand dropped, he took it as an opportunity to leave. He needed space, he needed to be alone; but of course, the situation wasn’t going to be dropped that easy. 

Eve yanked the back of his hoodie, spinning him around to face her. He kept his gaze low, careful not to make eye contact with Stone, Cass, or Flynn behind her. It went lower when Jenkins entered his line of sight; just another person who’d demand answers. 

“Okay, Jones, spill. What was that? Who was that guy and how do you know him?” Eve tried to keep her voice gentle yet firm. Seeing Jones react like that had unnerved her, something was terribly wrong with him and she needed to know what. 

Ezekiel bit his lip nervously, almost laughing when he remembered where he’d learned the habit. There was a trace of fear that made his heart race, this time there wasn’t a way to lie himself out of it. The truth wasn’t bad but he had learned that it was better hidden, safer for him. He couldn’t ruin everything now, he was finally happy in the Library.

It was a simple phrase that could explain everything easier than other words but his voice refused to let him say it. Not like this. Not now. 

So Ezekiel used those thief skills he’d collected, and danced around the truth. He lifted his eyes, meeting Baird’s to sell what he was saying. 

“We were friends when we were younger,” he stated. No one noticed the tremble at  _ friends _ . 

“Why were you so shocked to see him?” Cassandra asked. “You’ve never froze like that.”

“He, um - he,” Ezekiel stuttered, glancing around the room, never lingering on anything or anyone for more than a heartbeat. “He died six years ago.” 

Multiple apologies were muttered that Ezekiel dismissed. 

“Are you sure he died?” Jenkins asked, receiving a glare from everyone which he ignored. “Because it appears you might have been mistaken.”

“Trust me, he was dead.” His voice was somber, devoid of his usual perk. 

Eve and Jenkins both nodded, they looked at each other as they each tried forming any kind of plan within their own minds. 

“There are some ill effects that would come if a person truly was resurrected,” Jenkins explained. “It can warps one’s mind, changing them so they’ll never return the same way. If this resurrected sorcerer is drawing magic from the ley lines, then we don’t have much time before he becomes too powerful to stop.” 

“We need to figure out his plan and stop him,” Eve said. “It must be something big if he’s having to draw power from the ley lines.” 

Ezekiel shook his head. “Don’t hurt him,” he pleaded. 

Baird ignored him and looked past his desperate face. “And you’re sidelined. I’m sorry but you’re too emotionally involved, it makes you a liability.” Her tone was too cold for the circumstance, too emotionless for the hot-headed Librarian in front of her.  

“Wait, no, that’s no fair. I can help.” Ezekiel looked behind Eve. “Cassie, Stone, back me up.” 

Ezekiel had struggled to trust them initially, convinced they’d leave him behind if things got too rough. But slowly, after spending too many life-and-death situations together, he realised they’d always have his back; whenever he needed them, they’d be there. And he needed them more than ever. 

“She’s right,” Cassandra said softly, glancing away as if she knew what he was thinking. 

“We need to be focused.” Jake didn’t look away, needing Jones to understand. “You two obviously have history, that’s just gonna put you and then us at risk. 

“Let me talk to him, please. Maybe I can make him stop, we don’t have to attack anyone.” 

“No, he’ll just use you against us,” Flynn said. Was that really pity on his face? “We need to stop him before he does any damage.” 

“At least give him a chance,” Ezekiel said. “I know him, he’s not a bad person.”

“You heard what Jenkins said.” Eve brought the feeling back to her voice, soft yet strong, trying to get through to him. “Being brought back from the dead comes with a price, he might not remember you the same way. I am sorry, Ezekiel, but we can’t risk it.”

Something snapped, his back straightened and his face dropped; completely void of the pain and anguish he just had, replaced with a calm rage. It was only a mask, to conceal his heart shattering again, but the veil fit like he’d never taken it off. Like he never felt safe sharing his fear and his sadness with the friends before him. 

Under this mask, they were nothing to him. 

Eve realised in a heartbeat, as fast as Ezekiel changed, that she messed up. She should’ve talked to him more, learned all the angles before pushing Jones to the side. But it was too late. It was clear she had broken the painfully gained trust he shared with her.

Ezekiel kept a firm grasp on his voice, prevent it from trembling as he spoke again, not even an ounce of emotion leaked through as he striked where he knew it would hurt.  

“What if it was Flynn?”

Eve stepped back. “What?”

He spat out the words. “If Flynn was dead for  _ six years  _ and he came back, there wouldn’t be a single thing stopping you from getting to him. You would tear apart the world until he was at your side and expect us to trail along, cleaning up your mess because nothing else matters to you. Why can’t I do the same?”

Only after he had finished, Ezekiel realised he was yelling. 

“Why do you care so much about him?” 

“Because I love him.” 


	3. Chapter 3

Typically, wandering the halls of the Library and studying every detail of every wall would serve as a grounding experience for Ezekiel. A reminder of what was reality, the present and the difference between the past and nightmares masquerading as life. But as Ezekiel paced through the familiar corridors, they only taunted him; trapping him, making him helpless. 

He had marched from the annex before anything else could be said, and no one had followed him. He couldn’t decide if he wanted someone to. 

Ezekiel passed a display case, his reflection in the stainless glass made him pause. His younger self would never recognise the person he saw. There was a new softness in his eyes, one that would’ve gotten him killed on the streets, he no longer held his shoulders high, tense, to be as imposing as possible. 

If he couldn’t even recognise himself, how would Pax ever think he was still the same Ezekiel? 

He needed to be the old Ezekiel Jones and the old Ezekiel wouldn’t sulk because someone told him  _ no _ . 

The annex was empty and the Door wasn’t hard to figure out. Within five minutes of shrugging off the emotions and attachments that used to bury him under piles of anxiety and guilt, Ezekiel felt the cool evening wind across his face. 

He lent into it, closing his eyes and breathed deeply.  _ I’m here _ , he thought,  _ I’m here _ . 

When he opened his eyes again, only a few feet in front of him stood Paxon, just as Ezekiel predicted. His sandy blonde hair settled over his face, covering his grey eyes from full view. 

“You came,” Ezekiel said, almost hesitant to believe he was real. 

“I’ll always come for you, love. Someone has to look after your dumb ass.” 

They both laughed, as if it had been mere minutes since they last saw each other, not almost a decade. As if they were still too young to have the weight of the world comfortably settled on their shoulders, too young to feel so deeply. 

After the smiles fell, Ezekiel spoke. “You haven’t aged a day.” 

He had always wanted to be older than Pax, to use that as they teased each other but not like this. Ezekiel didn’t want it anymore. 

“And you look like an old man.” Ezekiel scoffed at the comment. “I guess we have some catching up to do,” Pax said. 

But first, they both had a more pressing issue on their minds. It only took a few strides each for them to meet, and they fell into each other without a thought. Pax’s hands gripped Ezekiel’s hips, pulling him closer. Ezekiel’s hands locked around the other man’s neck as they kissed. 

It made up for the years of separation, said everything they regretted never saying, and in return they offered the other a simple message.  _ You’re home now _ . 

Paxon parted the kiss first. “As much as I would love to stay here all night, I have somewhere better we can go.” 

Still entranced by Pax’s lips, Ezekiel could only nod. Though, he was sharply pulled back to himself when the ground beneath them slipped away. The world was spinning, shifting into darkness and instinctively, Ezekiel hid his face in the crook on Pax’s neck and waited for the earth to return. 

When he felt solid ground under his feet again, Ezekiel lifted his head, taking in his new surroundings. 

Night had turned to day, trees stood around them on all sides, and there was a quiet trickle of water from a stream next to them. They stood on a blanket, a wooden basket laid nearby. 

“Impressed?” Pax asked smugly. 

“You’re so dramatic.” 

Magic never ceased to amaze Ezekiel. The basket was able to produce any and every food he could ask for, even pizza from an Australian place where the cook would always seem to mess up an order and hand it to a young Ezekiel and his sisters.

Pax’s basket would’ve been a godsend back then. 

“Hey, you still with me?” Paxon waved a hand in front of Ezekiel’s face. “You did that thing where you disappear into you head, again.” 

“I’m sorry. Were you saying something?” 

“I was asking, how did you become a Librarian?” 

Ezekiel almost choked on the shrimp the pair had gorged on when they crashed some fancy fundraiser. “How do you know about that?”

Pax chuckled. “You guys aren’t as secretive as you thing. A lot of people know about you, and actively avoid you. As for me though, when I heard the  _ world-class thief _  Ezekiel Jones had supposedly gone to work for the good guys, I made sure to attract your attention.”

“You seriously planned all of this? Like I said, you are so dramatic.” 

Pax’s smile was like a breath of fresh air, a long needed break in the absolute mess Ezekiel’s life always seemed to be. 

There was barely enough time to blink before another world destruction threat came about, and there never would be enough time. Not as long as he was a Librarian, magic can be chaotic, the world is always chaotic, and Ezekiel loved it. He loved it more now that Paxon was back and whenever he needed to press pause on his life, he could come here. He could pretend he was normal. He could go on normal dates with his normal boyfriend. 

Ezekiel finally had everything he ever wanted. It didn’t matter how he got it.

“What was our first date, love?” Paxon laid down on the blanket, one hand behind his head as he looked up to the canopy above. 

The sun was steadily steaming through the leaves, landing on Paxon’s full body which gave him a heavenly glow. A gentle breeze was gliding through his hair and he closed his smokey eyes to let the strands brush over them. He reached out his other hand for Ezekiel to take. Pax’s hands always felt like home to Ezekiel. 

Ezekiel struggled to remind himself to breath. 

“It was at an art museum,” Ezekiel replied at last. “We were going to hit it that night, it had dozens of stolen pieces we wanted to return.”

“Tell me what you remember, please. My memory had been getting hazy these days, I need a refresher.” 

Ezekiel learned to copy the smile Pax flashed him. No one could seem to resist it, they joked it was magic; and maybe some kinds of magic didn’t affect Ezekiel quite how it should but that smile was the quickest way to make him melt. 

“Anything you want,” Pax squeezed his hand, “I had already hacked into their system, and counted their cameras and learned their range limits. You had memorised the security guard schedules and the building’s blueprints for all their exits.” 

Pax hummed, he let go of Ezekiel hands and started tracing letters onto his palm. From the day they met, Paxon had taken interest in his hands; loved his nimble fingers and the way they could dazzle and distract and slyly slip a wallet or watch away from someone. Pax always wanted to be touching them. 

Ezekiel barely had to think about what Pax was tracing, they both used it as a way to ground each other. Ezekiel had missed the comforting touch. 

_ F-O-R-E-V-E-R _ . They were going to be forever, immortals with their love. And even though it was years ago, the memory was becoming so clear in Ezekiel’s head now that Paxon was there. 

_ And he’s never leaving again.  _

“We were finishing our last round of the place before night,” he continued. “You saw a piece of art and. . . I’ve never seen you so excited. We sat down and you told me everything about its history, then about its artist and everything about her. We stayed there until the museum closed and we were kicked out.”

Paxon chuckled from where he laid. “That piece was almost as beautiful as you, dear.” 

Ezekiel blushed, thankful the other man couldn’t see it and pushed off the compliment. “ _ Almost _ ,” he repeated. “You never told me you were an art nerd before that.” 

“I’m not an art nerd.”

“Yes you are, and I love it.”  _ God, Ezekiel has a type.  _

“Well,” Paxon said, sitting up to rest back on his elbows. He looked around, taking in the scenery before laying eyes on Ezekiel. “In my defence, before that day we were simply partners in crime. And it wasn’t even a real date. We only started saying it was because we had our first kiss at that museum.”

“Really? I don’t remember that kiss.”

“Is that so?” Pax shifted so he was knelt before Ezekiel, gently brushing away a loose strand of hair. “Is this ringing any bells?”

Ezekiel shook his head, trying to keep the game going and hiding the desperation from his eyes. He missed having Pax’s warmth so close, letting his guard down to be so soft, and he was going to savour every last minute, just in case.

“What about this?” Paxon spoke barely above a whisper, their faces moving so close together where they stayed for an agonising time, exactly like their first time. Neither of them were confident to take the leap, to move just a centimeter closer. 

Just like that, they were eighteen again; dancing on that line between child and adult. When they stood on the museum steps, they had never felt so young, so inexperienced and lost. Eyes flickering between the others and their lips, afraid to take the first step despite how much they ached for it. 

But that was years ago, they had aged; scars inside and out and there would never be enough time to kiss each other better. 

There would never be enough time. 

Ezekiel and Paxon lent forward together and when their lips met, it was more magical than anything; than the Library in its glory, than seeing each other again. There was no truer feeling of home. No words could beat what the love they were sharing. 

They were Paxon and Ezekiel, no prison could stop them, not even death. They were timeless, they were forever. 

Slowly and painfully they parted, breathless but relishing in it. One, or both, of them had began crying during their kiss, the tears now staining each other their faces. 

“I love you, Ezekiel Jones.”

“And I love you, Paxon Rowe.” 

They stayed there for hours, talking, breathing each other in, holding each other closer at any sound that emitted from the woods; as if the noise was going to drag them apart again. In those woods, by that stream, on that picnic blanket, there were no facades, no masks. Only the people that had willingly dropped all familiarity to be with each other. They were just as real as Ezekiel’s fingers running through Pax’s curls, as real as the rise and fall of Pax’s chest against Ezekiel’s hand. 

There was no past, for either of them, the only thing that mattered was that very moment. It was so easy to forget anything and everything that had occurred in their lives. There was no Library in Ezekiel’s mind, no one there mattered, he only had room for Pax in his heart; and he’d gladly cast them all aside to be at his boyfriend’s side. 

“Ezekiel,” Paxon said softly after a minute of peace, pulling Ezekiel out of the serenity and violently thrown into the only memory that would never leave. “Do you remember Washington?” 

As if anything could make Ezekiel forget that day, he tried but nothing seemed to last long enough. He couldn’t meet Pax’s gaze, the gentle flow of the stream was suddenly far more interesting. But even in his silence, his answer was obvious. 

“I know how horrible it was for you, but please, I need to talk about it.” Pax offered a small, sad smile in encouragement. When Ezekiel finally nodded back, it seemed to satisfy him. 

Pax stood up, he moved so that his feet hung over the edge of the water; all it would take was a light breeze to tip him over. But he was perfectly still, not even a slimmer of movement; it was more than balance in play. 

“What do you recall? What happened from your point of view?” Pax asked. 

Ezekiel stayed sitting, bringing his knees up to his chest as he lent his head against a solid tree trunk. 

Ezekiel struggled to speak. “It- it should have been easy. It was nothing really, for us. I don’t remember what the item was but you wanted it, so of course I agreed. We got it and were running out the back. An alarm went off and we ran. . . I was in front of you and - “

A sob interrupted his reciting, the tears starting to blur his vision. He couldn’t see as Paxon knelt down before him, one hand drying the wetness under his eyes. 

“How are you alive?” Ezekiel whispered. 

Pax continued for Ezekiel, “The guard came out of nowhere, neither of us saw him or even heard him. He fired twice. The first bullet missed us, it hit the wall just above where your head was. The second bullet, that one hit its mark.” 

He unbuttoned the top of his shirt, pulling it aside to show his chest. Right above Pax’s heart was an angry red, circular scar. “It will never heal,” he explained. “But it won’t kill me either. 

“I - I saw you die.” 

“The item we were stealing, it’s a phylactery.” Pax reached into his back pocket in his jeans, and fished out a rusted amulet. It was the size of his fist, inscriptions of a dead language were barely visible. “It has magic, it keeps me alive. I was wearing it when I died, and it brought me back. But the magic isn’t stable, it drains over time and if I don’t take more then I’ll die for good.” 

“That’s why you were using the ley lines?” Ezekiel didn’t even blink at Pax’s story, it was the most believable thing that’s happened to him since he became a Librarian. 

Paxon nodded. “But I figured out a way to draw enough power to keep me alive forever,” he said. “I’d be immortal, and you can join me.” He didn’t give Ezekiel enough time to answer before continuing. “I need your help. Love, please, I need you.”

Ezekiel had never been able to turn down Pax. He’d burn the world to ash if that’s what Paxon wanted. And he wouldn’t dare start saying no now. 

“I’ll help you.” 


	4. Chapter 4

Ezekiel and Paxon wandered into town, hand in hand, talking and laughing like the young lovers they should be. It was late afternoon by the time they arrived. Ezekiel swore he only spent a few hours with Pax, maybe he just lost track of time. 

They were distracted, still letting each other sink in and wanting to be watching the other just in case. So when Ezekiel finally took a glance in front of them, seeing the Librarians and their Guardian was a surprise. 

_ His Guardian _ , he had to remind himself. 

There wasn’t a trace of anger or betrayal left in him, his head had been cleared; but it seemed they didn’t have the same luck. 

They all looked like they hadn’t slept in days, but he’d only been gone for a few hours, right? Jake was particularly rough, he must have been pushing himself to keep going. Had they been looking for Ezekiel? And so hard, even Flynn looked like he could pass out at any moment.

Ezekiel was sure he shared the same open-mouthed, eyes wild look of shock as his friends did. 

Pax tightened his grip on Ezekiel’s hand. 

He was ready to explain, tell them everything and let them help; as he should’ve done at first. An apology was on the tip of his tongue when the world faded into the spinning darkness he was becoming accustomed to. 

Before they disappeared into a plume of smoke, Ezekiel swore he could see Stone mouth his name, like a silent plea; and as much as he wanted to reassure Jake, there was no time. 

This time, Ezekiel didn’t hide his face. He stared out into the abyss, hopelessly praying that Stone would return. But he didn’t 

Ezekiel pretended the hollowness of his chest wasn’t similar to how he felt when Pax vanished only a day ago. 

Or was it longer? It felt like years ago to him, the emotional rollercoaster he’d been on was enough feeling for a lifetime. All he wanted was for it to be over. 

When Stone didn’t replace the darkness but a building did, Ezekiel pried himself from Pax’s grasp. 

“Take me back,” he said. “Paxon, please, take me back to them.” 

Pax only shook his head, again pulling Ezekiel into him. “I’m sorry, love. I can’t risk losing you, not again.” 

“I’ll talk to them. They won’t hurt you if I’m there. Please, let me help you.” 

Ezekiel Jones did not beg. He took what he wanted, and damn the consequences. He refused to beg for his life, to beg for help, but then there he was; having begged more in the last day then in his whole life. 

Twice, he stood before the people he cared for most and  _ begged  _ them. And twice, they rejected him. 

“They’ll only you use against me,” Pax said. “I promise, I will fix this. I can make everything okay, but I need you to stay here, I need to know you’re safe.” 

Despite his instincts screaming at him, Ezekiel nodded. He trusted Paxon with things more valuable than his life and that’s all that mattered. 

Pax drew him into a tight embrace, planting a kiss of his forehead when they pulled apart. 

“Wait for me, Ezekiel Jones,” Pax whispered. 

“Come back to me, Paxon Rowe.” 

~

Pax closed his eyes, falling into the familiar void and searched. Searched for something to locate the Librarians. As the world continued to hurl around him, there was a distinct cry in the distance, calling out from him. Like Ezekiel had, consciously or not, for Pax to come. 

It was them. 

The world came back, Pax opening his eyes before his feet had landed. He had ended up in the town park, nighttime had driven it empty. In front of him stood two people, a blonde woman and a scruffy looking man.    


Pax had taken on worse. 

“You rang?” he joked. 

“Where’s Ezekiel?” 

The blonde was clearly in charge, the way she held herself was meant to give her the power over the situation. Shoulders back and head high. A soldier. One used to commanding others, used to resistance and then overcoming that opposition. She must be one hell of a leader if Ezekiel willingly followed her orders. 

Paxon would give her that much credit. 

The man beside her that acted as the muscle hadn’t stopped glaring at Pax. He tensed when Pax nonchalantly took a few more steps towards the pair, but held his ground. He seemed more angry than the blonde, either he hadn’t mastered hiding his emotions like the woman or had more emotional ties to Ezekiel. 

He wasn’t exactly Pax’s type, but maybe he was Ezekiel’s. 

“I’m offended that you think I could ever hurt him,” Pax said. “After all, he  _ was  _ mine before he become yours.”    


That earned a growl from the muscle. There were definitely more than platonic feelings there. But in the end, it would be Paxon who Ezekiel chose, not some brute. 

Pax pocketed that insult for later, then continued. “Listen, you’re good people, you really are; and I’m glad Zekey found you. But I’m here now, he doesn’t need you. So I suggest you leave us alone. Forever.”

“I think we should hear that from Ezekiel, don’t you? So why don’t you bring him back here and we can talk.” The blonde’s eyes shifted, glanced to something behind him, returning after a couple of seconds but it was a deliberate act. 

Then Paxon remembered. There was four of them. There were four people; but only two were here. 

She was stalling. It was a trap. 

He panicked. 

They were going to trap him, steal his magic, steal his life. They were going to take Ezekiel away from him. They would kill him, right here, and he would never be able to see Ezekiel again, never get to kiss him, get to hold him again. But Ezekiel was  _ his _ , not theirs, they couldn’t do this. They couldn’t stop him from being with the love of his life, his boyfriend, his Ezekiel. 

_ Ezekiel _ . 

Paxon didn’t fight to bring Ezekiel back to him. He fought to bring himself back for Ezekiel. Because Ezekiel made sure Pax knew how important he was, how much he loved, loves him. Because Ezekiel would want him back. 

  
Because  _ Paxon, you’re are my home _ . 

Because they were both robbed of a life together; but now Pax could change that. 

If only these stupid Librarians stopped thinking they had a claim on Ezekiel Jones. They would want him to choose, they would rather rip his heart apart than accept that Paxon was better for him; because Pax would never make him choose. He would make sure there wasn’t even a choice. 

The blonde seemed to recognise that in his eyes. She looked behind Pax again, revealing the others’ position, and yelled. “Flynn!” 

With only a single thought, Flynn and a redhead came flying from the bushes behind him and landed at the blonde’s feet. 

“You really should’ve listened to me when I said leave.”

~

The second Pax vanished, Ezekiel was left painfully bored. He had little doubt Paxon could convince his friends to stand down. He’d tell them what he told Ezekiel, and they’d understand, they’d want to help him. If only because he means something to Ezekiel.

Even if Ezekiel did try to run after him, one look out a window confirmed his suspicions. Pax’s house, at least he assumed it was, was nestled in a clearing. Sturdy trees surrounded the place on all sides. The power station towered over the trees nearby. 

Ley lines must run under it, which explained why Paxon would be so secluded out there. That, and he was the king of dramatics, a fact Ezekiel was constantly reminded of. 

The house itself was rather small, it was more of a cabin than a proper house. It was impeccably clean, proving that Pax had either just moved in or had been there for a such long time he felt the need to treat it like a real home. 

When they had lived together in an apartment, a speck of dust barely lasted ten minutes before Paxon swept it away. Ezekiel thought his neat-freak boyfriend was hilarious, and it seemed he hadn’t changed after all those years. 

In the cabin, there was no walls separating the kitchen and lounge. The back wall held two doors, one leading to a bathroom after a quick inspection, the other to the only bedroom. A double bed had been pushed into the left corner, it was neatly made; again showing that Paxon never slept or spent too much time trying to make it perfect. 

In the right corner was a desk, simple yet elegant and had Pax written all over it. Literally. 

Scratched into the wood was  _ Pax _ and  _ Paxon _ , his name covered every inch of the desk; and the scratches were deep, carved over top of each other. 

Like a mad man trying to remember his own name. 

_ It can warps one’s mind, changing them so they’ll never return the same way.  _

Ezekiel had successfully pushed Jenkins’ words from his head. He was still Paxon, he was the same person. But as Ezekiel stared at the proof that something was wrong with him, all he could think of was what Jenkins said. 

_ This doesn’t mean anything.  _ Pax already said his memory was bad, Ezekiel would freak out too if he started forgetting his own name. 

When he picked up the spiral notebook sitting aligned in the right corner, Ezekiel wasn’t as confident that Jenkins was wrong. 

Page after page, scribbles after scribbles, he read through everything that was legible. Some pages were covered in phrases that meant nothing, others had fine handwriting describing memories in perfect detail, still there were more with only a few basic bullet points. Those pages had ink hard pressed into them, drops of water stained some words. 

Then Ezekiel found the pages about him, about the Library. 

_ They stole him. They stole him. They stole him.  _

The more he read of his lovers descent into madness, the more Ezekiel wanted to throw up, to cry, to hold Pax close and apologies for all the suffering he’s gone through, like it was somehow Ezekiel’s fault. 

As Pax ranted in his notebook more and more about Ezekiel, the more incoherent it became. He flipped through the book, the mania continuing for far too long, until it just stopped. Stopped and become clear, calm, like a switch flipped in Pax and he had a moment of clarity. 

But what followed multiple blank pages was just as crazy. 

It was a simple to-do list. Bold writing and underlined in some areas, showing what was most important to a man that might just forget his big plan. 

Ezekiel skimmed through it, reaching the last point. It was written so casually, like just a normal chore, but it made Ezekiel’s heart skip a beat. 

  1. _Drain the Library of its magic. Destroy it so it can’t hurt us anymore._



And now Paxon was with the protectors of the Library, who have no idea how powerful he really is. 

~

The power station was north of the town, facing south, Ezekiel found a moment to breath. It would only take a few minutes to reach town, and a few more to actually find everyone. The motorcycle he found in a shed out back would speed things up. 

Gripping the handlebars, he tried to forget how he used to lean back, rest against Pax’s chest even as they tore through the streets. There would always be at least one comforting hand holding his waist, the other was usually held up high; reaching for the heavens, the chill air pushing through his fingers. 

Ezekiel had wanted to ride with Jake once, wanted to make the man breathless with exhilaration, wanted to travel and see the world; show the cowboy every corner of the planet. But now, he wasn’t sure if he could let himself be so close to someone again, even if Stone wanted it. 

Even if Stone would forgive him after everything he’s done.

Ezekiel had put him in danger, had put everyone in danger, because of his own selfishness, his naivety. Because he had been a stupid kid in love and that kid wanted to live again. 

As the motorbike engine purred to life, part of him wanted to stay. He should just walk back inside, pretend he was none the wiser to Pax’s plan and get some part of his happily ever after. Ezekiel deserved to be happy, but his friends didn’t deserve to die. 

The kickstand went up and that was the final decision. With sharp muscle memory, Ezekiel drove the bike up a dirt road towards the town, praying that he wasn’t too late, that he still had time to fix everything. 

~

After spending years together, Ezekiel and Paxon developed a keen sense of where the other was at any given point. A kind of  _ his dumb ass needs me _ radar. 

Ezekiel followed that feeling until he found Pax’s dumb ass standing in the town park, hands out in front of him. There was a soft glow to his body and it radiated in front of him. 

Ezekiel quickly ditched the bike, racing towards him. In the few seconds it took to reach Pax, Ezekiel had never felt quite as horrified. 

Cassandra’s red hair was covering Jake’s face as she lent over him, it was still obvious by the way he laid in her lap that he was out cold. Flynn wasn’t in an any better state. He was laying down, propped up by one arm while the other was clutching his chest. Eve was the only line of defense between him and Paxon. 

She was bruised and battered, but still standing tall. Being their Guardian. 

The soft glow was reaching out for her, travelling faster than he could run. It struck her abdomen, encasing her whole body for a moment before vanishing. She grunted, the only glimpse into how much pain she felt. But she didn’t fall, didn’t cry out; she had taken more pain for the people she loved and would continue to take more. 

In only a few more steps Ezekiel would reach Paxon. Before, he didn’t have a plan. Before, he was secretly hoping one side had already won. But after seeing  _ his  _ Guardian take the brute force of his mistake, Ezekiel knew what he had to do. Eve wouldn’t cry, and neither would he. 

Pax was about to send another burst of pain to Eve when Ezekiel ran into his line of sight, completely invisible a moment ago. Immediately Pax’s eyes softened, rage and hatred draining from him as his hands lowered. 

“You can’t be here.” Pax frantically shook his head. “You need to leave.”

Ezekiel cupped his face, forcing their eyes to meet. Damn any insecurities he had about the others seeing him like this. 

“Pax. Stop this,” he said calmly. “You don’t need to hurt them. We’ll find another way to keep you alive.”

Ezekiel used his body to block Paxon’s view, knowing they were using this moment to regain themselves and hopefully run. Although they never would. 

“You need to leave,” Pax repeated. “They’ll use you to get to me.” A weak justification in his crazed mind but it was enough to convince him. “I-I can’t, I can’t lose you again.”

“You won’t.” That was definitely Jake who groaned behind him, at least he was alive. “They don’t control me, okay? I won’t go anywhere without you. Listen, how about we leave together. Forget about all of this and we can start again.”

Paxon had stopped being real the moment Ezekiel learned the truth, he had become a shell of who he used to be. But in those eyes, in that smile, it felt like the boy who died was able to shine through. 

Ezekiel should’ve looked back, gotten one more look at his friends, his family for the strength he needed; at least this time, he was ready for the dark abyss to sweep him away.  


	5. Chapter 5

“What the hell were you doing?”

Ezekiel scoffed. “I was stopping  _ you  _ from killing my friends.”

The boys had both started shouting the moment Pax’s cabin appeared around them. Ezekiel had hoped for a quieter confrontation but when Paxon had yelled, “ _ You dumbass _ ”, he had to match the anger, letting his chained anger fly. 

“They would have happily killed  _ me _ , Ezekiel. Do you not realise that? I was simply defending myself.” 

After everything Ezekiel had dropped to be with Paxon, this is what he got in return? Becoming the bad guy for not letting his boyfriend become a murderer. Knowing the true madman that stood before him, Ezekiel could barely recognise the man he once thought he’d spend his life with. 

“Pax”- his voice was more desperate than sickened- “that was more than defending yourself and you know it. They don’t know that your magic is keeping alive, do they? They wouldn’t be doing this if they knew. If you had just let me talk to-” 

“I can’t lose you again, Ezekiel.” 

Pax said it like it changed anything, spoke like it excused  _ almost murdering the people that actually cared about Ezekiel _ ; in his mind it probably did. 

“It’s all for you, love.” 

His grand motivation was  _ for Ezekiel _ . The old Pax, the real Pax would’ve known how much of a bullshit reason that was. The real Pax would’ve known immediately how much the Library means to Ezekiel. The real Pax probably would’ve never come back if he saw how happy Ezekiel was. 

But this wasn’t the real Paxon, not anymore and Ezekiel had to stop treating him like he was. 

“Pax, you’re the one who’s pushing me away. You can’t expect me to sit aside while you hurt my family.” 

“I thought I was your family.” 

The hurt flashing behind Pax’s smokey eyes were the only warning to the storm that was raging beneath his skin. Ezekiel had chosen the wrong words and that storm bubbled over. 

In a blink, Pax went from containing himself to his magic fuming, acting without control. It flung itself towards Ezekiel in the same glow that struck Baird. 

It was like having every bone in your body broken at the same time. Ezekiel couldn’t breathe through the invisible pain, a soft cry was he could muster. His vision blurred momentarily, black spots threatening to grow. At some point he had fallen, the ground keeping him steady as he knelt on all fours, his arms shaking from holding himself. 

Ezekiel wanted nothing more than to be able to curl up in a ball, even as the pain slowly eased. But he thought about Eve, and all the hits she took, and the ones he didn’t see. She was strong enough to protect her Librarians, as Guardian it was her job. His job was to protect magic, if he had to take some pain in order to complete his task then he’d do it for as long as it took. 

Ezekiel stood on trembling legs. Deep breath in, deep breath out, don’t drop eye contact, don’t show fear. His arrogant confidence was a complete charade, fueled only by the repeating saying that he’d learned far too young. 

He never had to use it for Paxon, though. 

The pain had left, drawn back and Ezekiel was almost expecting it to lunge for him again; but there was only Pax, hands clenched tightly together and pulled against his chest. 

Fear looked so foreign in his smokey grey eyes, it contorted his young face into a look of panic that he’d never felt before. Even when the bullet ripped through his flesh, Paxon had a sense of calmness, knowing that Ezekiel would make it out. But in that moment, seeing his reason for being cumple under the pain he inflicted, Pax had never been more afraid. Of himself. Of losing Ezekiel. 

“Oh God- Ezekiel, I’m, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” 

Ezekiel could only shake his head, his voice escaping him while his heart sank with grim realisation. When he wrapped his arms around the scared boy, Pax realised it too. 

No matter what Paxon does, Ezekiel will always love him. And that love was dangerous. 

~

Eve ignored the phantom pain hum through her body, the magic was long gone but her mind still played the pain over and over again; and like with every other source of pain, she gritted her teeth and helped her Librarians. 

Stone was waking up, thank God. He had hit the pavement with a sickening thud and remained there until his head had cleared and he realised the sorcerer, Pax, she thinks, had vanished again. Eve didn’t mention that Ezekiel had shown up again, throwing himself into harm's way, Stone had enough reasons to worry about Jones. 

While Cassandra helped Jake to his feet, Eve checked over Flynn. He had charged at the sorcerer, only to met an invisible force which cracked a rib. It could’ve been worse. Eve knew how much worse if Jones hadn’t distracted the sorcerer. 

When no one swayed while standing for more than a minute, Eve reined them back into the mission. 

“Cassandra?” The redhead perked up from where she carefully watched Jake take a few tentative steps. “Did you do it?” Baird asked. 

With one of their own in possible danger, Eve couldn’t risk anything, so before Plan A could fall apart she made sure they had other backups to use in the field. In case Flynn’s trap failed, which it did, Cassandra would plant a tracking spell onto the sorcerer. 

She pulled out a small rock for her cardigan, it was smooth and a light grey. “If Jenkins was right this should lead us to him. . . and Ezekiel.” 

Eve wished there was some inspiring speech she could give, something to lighten the bleak looks on her Librarians’ faces; but there was nothing. Nothing that wouldn’t be a lie. She wanted to tell them that everything would be fine, they’d find the sorcerer before any damage is done and Jones would be back in the Library where he belongs. 

Eve didn’t believe it herself. 

She pushed back the intrusive thought that told her they wouldn’t get Ezekiel back, not their Ezekiel at least. It didn’t matter what was going on with the young Librarian, she would fight for him until whatever end. 

Keeping her thoughts from reaching her face for the others to read, Eve nodded and gestured for Cassandra to lead on. The rock in her hands hummed when she began walking the way Jones had appeared from just before. Their pace quickened, falling short of a run as the hum grew louder and louder while the town faded out behind them. 

Trees grew around them as they rushed in silence, the clean paved roads turning more rough and worn until they turned onto a dirt road; the stone was screaming by the time they reached the end. 

Before the group stood a small cottage, there was no indication of the gravity that its inhabitants’ held. Without a word, they moved as one determined, and pissed off unit into the house. 

While they all had different expectations going in, not a single one of them was prepared for what they walked into. Jake pretended the raging storm in his gut wasn’t anything but anger, Cassandra almost turned away in embarrassment, Flynn would have laughed at the sight if it was any other day and Eve had reached a new level of pissed off. 

After everything she’d done for Ezekiel, it seemed obvious who he’d chosen in the end. 

Jones and the sorcerer were engaged in a passionate kiss, so entranced with each other they didn’t notice the group slip through the door. Eve had been expecting a fight, and would rather take one than to watch this any longer. Just as she was tempted to clear her throat, she noticed Ezekiel’s small movement, she only saw it because she’d grown accustomed to catching him sneak small objects away. 

His quick and nimble fingers slide into the sorcerer’s jacket, an effortless, trained maneuver. His hand came back out and between two fingers was a grey, circular object that he easily palmed. In a fluid motion, Ezekiel threw it; right to Flynn, who caught it less gracefully. Like he knew they were there. 

The sorcerer, Pax, his name is Pax, pulled back sharply, gasping for air and eyes wild. They darted between Ezekiel and the group he then realized was watching. Pax clutched at his chest, now wheezing and a soft cough left blood staining his lips. 

“Ezekiel?” he whispered. 

Jones stayed silent, a cold, hard stare passing over his face that left him looking emotionless; even as he lowered Pax’s body to the floor as gently as possible. It was clear for everyone to see the dark crimson that was steaming from his chest, pooling around his body on the wooden ground. 

The bullet ripping through his body was twice as painful than the first time, for both of the boys. They were both dying in a way. The person Ezekiel desperately wanted to be again was being twisted and scarred in such a way that he would be unrecognisable. 

Holding the only person Ezekiel was sure loved him, watching pained betrayal fade into a grateful understanding was punishment for Ezekiel, it had to be. For all the crimes he committed, this would be his retribution. 

Maybe he deserved it then. 

But Paxon had always been good. Pax had never felt the alluring charm of greed, of selfishness. Every wrong he’d committed had outweighed itself with so much good, the world didn’t deserve Pax. 

Pax was paying for what Ezekiel had done and it wasn’t fucking fair. 

Ezekiel would give anything to trade places, let his love have the life that had been robbed, give Paxon another chance to make the world a better place; but instead the criminal, the true criminal would be forced to carry on, to finally move on.

“I’m so sorry,” Ezekiel sobbed. The tears had started flowing before he realised, and he was losing his strength to wipe them away. 

Paxon smiled. “No, no, I see it now. You made the right choice.” He choked on his words, the blood was everywhere now. 

Did Pax spend all this time bleeding out alone while Ezekiel abandoned him last time? Being with him now, didn’t make up for it. 

“I love you, Ezekiel Jones.”

“And I love you, Paxon Rowe.” 

Pax didn’t close his eyes as he passed. 

He left them wide open, those cold, empty eyes devoid of his smokey fire that always burned. 

His hand didn’t stay on Ezekiel’s. It slipped onto the ground. Into his own blood. 

He didn’t even get to finish his last breath. 

 


End file.
